


Maybe This Could Work

by Hazzapixie



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Kane Chronicles - Rick Riordan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2019-02-14 07:35:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13002933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hazzapixie/pseuds/Hazzapixie
Summary: Three years after 'Serpents Shadow' and 'Mark of Athena'. Walt has been acting suspicious for quite some time, and Sadie is fed up with all the secrets. Meanwhile, Nico's loneliness is catching up to him. When they meet unexpectedly, they must work together. Could this friendship work?





	1. Suspicions and a Plan - Sadie

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, so, this is a fic that I started on ff.net 5 years ago that I only finished this year. I'm going back and editing it, so I figured I may as well post the updated fic here as well.  
> As someone who is not so invested in either series anymore, but still wants to put semi quality work out there, I hope you all enjoy. I wanted to see how Sadie and Nico would interact with each other, and I've never read the canon crossover works. So here goes!

Now before I begin, I'm not an overly suspicious person, I swear. I'm very trusting, actually. Don't let my brother fool you, when it comes to the people I love, they could probably get away with murder before I accuse them with something. It's those I don't know that get the brunt of my suspicion. Which means when I say that Carter was acting suspicious, you can trust that's what I mean. 

It was a typical day. Carter and I had just finished up lessons, and all the kids we've semi adopted were running around. Felix was up to his usual mischief, and the smell of food cooking in the kitchen was beginning to awaken my stomach. 

Carter was laying on the couch, dark bags under his eyes from exhaustion juxtaposed with the massive grin on his face as he talked about the love of his life, Zia.

I honestly don't know how my dork of a brother ended up with such a gorgeous girlfriend, but I guess if you grew up under a pyramid any guy looks better than a corkscrew demon. 

Carter regaled the events of the date they went on yesterday, a rare treat in the mayhem that is the 21st Nome. It was honestly hilarious to see the admiration on his face as he recounted how some poor man was torn to shreds with a righteous Zia's words about the sexualisation of Black Widow in the new Avengers film. 

I'm happy for Carter and Zia, I am. Their flourishing and committed love life brings me joy, and much needed hope for the future in a world of chaos. But it was hard to listen to Carter jabber on, especially when I thought about my own love life, and my boyfriend. Walt. A boy I fought so hard for, who I agonized over when I was drawn to him and Anubis, who finally became mine. Just looking into his rich brown eyes once used to make me bubble up with joy, the warmth of his hand in mine never failed to give me comfort. That being said, it's been a while since he's even held my hand. After defeating Apophis, I thought we'd be together forever, but over the past couple of months I've felt him drifting away. Just last week we made plans for coffee, only for him not to show up, and he only offered a weak explanation when I rang him after an hour of waiting. Even when we were together at home he was often distracted, not really listening to what I was saying and blowing off my concerns. 

As Carter was describing some finer details of the movie, I interrupted him, not being able to stew inside anymore. 

"Carter?"

"What?" He answered, annoyed until he looked over and saw my troubles expression. His face softened, and he repositioned himself so he was seated upright. 

I was slightly nervous to ask, since I didn't want to be seen as a paranoid girlfriend, but I proceeded anyway. 

"Do you have any clue what's been up with Walt recently? He's been really distracted, and I'm started to get worried."

Carters face went blank for a moment before he was able to school his features. I smelt something fishy.

"It's nothing, I'm sure," he replied, in a tone a little too controlled for my liking. There was a slight sliver of panic that worked its way through, and I didn't like his next words any more than I did the others. 

"Maybe just ask him, just don't follow him, I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate it, and that would be going a bit far, even for you Sadie." 

Since I hadn't even brought up the idea of following him, I knew they were involved in something, especially since I had already asked Walt what his problem was.  
Carter even went so far as to try extract a promise to leave Walt alone, which I refused. There was no way in hell Carter would leave me out of whatever the hell was going on. Still, I dropped the topic for the moment, and Carter relaxed back into the lounge. My heart wasn't into the conversation, so I made an excuse to leave and went to the kitchen for some food. 

xx

My curiosity had been sparked by Carter's strange behavior the previous day, so as soon as Walt reappeared from wherever he was I cornered him. It was after dinner, and almost everyone was in the lounge room watching TV, so it wasn't that hard to get him alone. 

"Hey Walt!" The tall boy glanced back at me as he made his way up the stairs, and I began to follow him as he merely shook his head. 

"Look at me, please." I said, as we reached the landing and he paused. 

"Really Sadie, I'm too tired for anything tonight, can we talk tomorrow or something?" Walt still wouldn't look at me, just the space on the wall next to my head. Frustration started bubbling inside me, especially since I knew from eavesdropping on Carter and Walt that be heading out again early tomorrow morning. 

"No!" I guess my frustration wasn't easy to hide. 

"We are going to talk now! What is going on Walt? Where have you been going? Why don't you talk to me?" All my pent up emotion started pouring through as I bombarded him with questions. I could feel tears starting to well in my eyes, but I refused to cry. Walt seemed to soften as he looked at my face, but those beautiful brown eyes still didn't meet mine. 

"I'm on a mission Sadie," he said, confirming my suspicions, "and I need to rest."

Now that I took the time to properly look at him, Walt did seem weary. His broad shoulders were slumped forward, and his tasteful shirt and shorts were rumpled. 

Hang on a second, tasteful clothes? On my boyfriend? The one who regularly wore the same basketball jersey 3 days in a row? I let him go to bed, but despite his confession I still suspected there was something he wasn't telling me. Besides, a mission that I wasn't involved in was worrying enough. 

A mission that Carter was petrified I would find out about, and didn't want me following Walt on. A mission that I would certainly be a part of, considering I knew when Walt was leaving. 

I gave up on Walt, especially once I heard the lock on his door click, and headed up to my own room. The tears I had been trying to hold back earlier finally began to trickle down my cheeks, and I quickly found myself scrolling through my iPod playlists to find something to listen to. My finger stopped on one that I hadn't opened in a while, but it felt strangely right to click on 'Sad list' and head back to my bed with the sorrowful voice of Adele filling my room. 

After my tears had dried, I returned to my desk and searched for a piece of blank papyrus, before scribbling some notes and a plan for figuring out this secret mission, and my absentee boyfriend. 

The next morning, I had a small bag packed, with everything I thought I would need for a few days of sleuthing. I managed to grab some dried fruit and crisps from the kitchen without anyone noticing and added them to my supplies. I didn't acknowledge Walt or Carter's mission as we sat down for breakfast, only bidding them good morning, and Walt barely even greeted me. When we had finished up, I grabbed by bag as discretely as possible and cast a concealing charm over myself. As Walt left the house, in somewhat of a hurry, I followed after. Just outside the building he checked behind him, and I held my breath, staying as still as possible. I needn't have worried. His eyes passed right over me, and he continued on, unknowingly followed by me a few meters behind. 

We soon found ourselves in the morning rush on the footpaths of Brooklyn, and I didn't really look where I was going, intent on the tall figure of my boyfriend. Weaving in and out of the crowd was harder while still concealed, and I heard a few exclamations of surprise when people bumped into me. A yelp sounded, and I realized that I had just kicked a chihuahua that had found itself underfoot. I jerked back, and for a second I was convinced it had turned into something else, something with a lions head and a snakes body. Shaking off the weird vision, I looked back up to see Walt, but in the commotion I had managed to loose him. The crowd had swallowed my only hope at finding out what was going on. 

I rushed forward, shaking off a growing sense of despair in the pit of my stomach, and channeled all the engery I could into forming a picture of Walt in my find. I conjured up his tall and bulky frame, the muscles that came from plenty of basketball and weights. I pictured his sweet face, umber brown skin, his mouth so hard and set with the weight of the world, which qwirked up in a smile at the sight of my antics. The gold chains which so often hung around his neck, testament to his amulet making ability. Picturing this boy I loved, only to be struck again by the weight of his secrecy and distance was almost heart breaking, but I figured it was worth it. I didn't quite know if my idea would work, but I figured that for someone so filled with magic as I supposedly was, it didn't hurt to try. And I was right. Within moments, I regained sight of Walt, and I doubled my speed to catch up, grinning at my ability. Unfortunatly, I was so concerned with having found him again, I didn't notice as we slid into the Duat.


	2. Lost and Lonely - Nico

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico commiserates his life at camp, and finds himself somewhere he doesn't recoginse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, back with another chapter. Meet Nico!

Melancholy. Melancholic, Melancholily existing. Dramatic, he knows. But, he thinks, he has the right out of everyone in this godforsaken camp to be a little gloomy. You would be too if you were the son of the god of death. The walk of a demigod is never easy, but say, the life of a son of Hypnos is certainly easier than a son of Hades. Rather, the son of Hades. It’s not like the boy has any brothers wandering around. He does have a sister, or a half sister. Once upon a time he had two, but then the allure of dying a hero and sacrificing herself for the sake of the world tore Bianca from him. In his darkest moments, the boy would have much preferred her to be selfish for once. Not that anyone would ever hear that from him. Which is kinda part of his current problem.

The boy sighs and lets his head fall back, hitting the trunk he’s sitting against with a thunk. The bark is rough and itches slightly through his shirt. A dryad twitters behind the tree, but he ignores her as he commiserates his loneliness. It’s easy enough for him to let the dark thoughts creep in, ones that whisper and scratch, that tell him he’s not good enough, not normal enough, not even alive enough for anyone to truly love. It’s one thing to have Percy Jackson ‘hero to all’ take pity on you, but it’s not like he’s even around most of the time. Always running off, saving people and rescuing cats from trees. Doing what heroes always do. 

His fingers pick at themselves as his thoughts wonder, and by the time he looks down they are raw and bloody. The shadows around him have shrunk as the sun rises, reminding him of the time, and of lunch. Suddenly, a bubble starts expanding inside him, starting at his navel and pushing the air out of his lungs, causing his stomach to broil. Deep intakes of air are the only thing that permeate the air as he tries to push his anxiety down at the idea of heading back down to camp. His eyes fall closed as he works the tension from his eyebrows, drawn so close they almost touch, and he smooths the creases that so often find their home on his face. 

With a groan he lifts himself up off the ground, brushing the dirt from his black jeans and stretching out his cramped muscles. An image of what awaits him down the hill approaches again, unbidden. Nico sits all alone at the table, laughing demigods surrounding him but none next to him. He thinks pathetically of another semi-decent meal and giving offerings to gods that don’t deserve his thanks. Before he can decide against it, Nico steps into the biggest shadow he can find and visualises the tricolour awning and glass windows of his favourite pizzeria in New York, wishing himself far away from his loneliness. Mental distance at the very least. 

A familiar cool wind embraces him as he closes his eyes, and the leaf-filtered sunlight behind his eyes disappeared as he was submerged into the darkness of shadow travel. He waits for the usual smell of cigarettes and bagels to fill his nose and the noises of a bustling city to hit him, the sudden pavement underfoot informing him of his arrival. When none of these things happened, he opened his eyes, confused. Thick fog as far as he could see surrounded him, and while the ground under him was solid enough, it held the same gauzy consistency. The thick air weighed down on the boy, and sweat beaded on his brow as he registered an oppressive muggy heat. One short breath after another puffed out of him, signally panic as the thick air choked his lungs. His heart began to pound and a weight pressed on his chest, crushing his ribs. He closed his eyes, desperately thinking of New York, Camp Half-blood, anywhere, hoping the fog was dark enough. Still he remained in the misty foreign world. The realisation that he may be stuck gripped his mind, squeezing out any coherent thoughts as he found himself in the throes of a panic attack. Flashbacks of walls of clay and stale air struck him, when he looked at his hands he could see pomegranate seeds and no way out. The boy sank to his knees, barely gasping in air, trapped yet again in a nightmare. 

He didn’t know how long it had been before he could form a half coherent thought. Breathe. That’s what he had to do. Breathe. He straightened, achingly, and placed his hands on his stomach, forcing himself to move his hands with each breath. He slowly brought his breathing into control, drawing his racing thoughts to a more reasonable pace as his heart rate settled. He continued to sit with his eyes closed, breathing deeply until he was prepared to open his eyes and face the fog. After he had calmed down, Nico stood up and tried to catalogue what was around him, hoping that he would recognise something. Not that there was much to catalogue. When nothing about the foggy world was familiar, Nico decided to explore. As he walked, he noticed the air wasn’t quite as thick as he originally thought, and the temperature wasn’t quite as warm as it used to be. The wet shirt sticking to his back was testament enough that he hadn’t just imagined what he experienced when he first arrived, but maybe he was just getting used to the weird perpetual fog.  
The longer that he walked, the stranger the strange place became. The fog shifted occasionally, and he was met with bizarre visions of unexplainable creatures and noises. Some things made his stomach turn as he saw disfigured and grotesque beings wandering through the haze, he made sure to stay away from them, figuring any confrontation would not work out well. At one point, he came upon a great lake of fire, and as he watched a giant hawk flew overhead, cawing as it went. He tried to climb down a cliff to get closer, but almost immediately the fiery heat became too oppressive, and he decided to back off. Tormented stretches and a sense of doom reminded Nico of another river, and the sense of death and decay that his father’s kingdom held. It wasn’t Hades though, because he wouldn't have been trapped with an invalid shadow travel pass. 

After awhile, he felt a strange tug at the bottom of his stomach. As he stepped forward it grew stronger and stronger, until the fog seemed to be pulling him along. He was helpless to the whims of the fog, no longer stagnant but flowing like a river, and he was caught in a current. Direction had no meaning anymore, but it wasn’t like he knew where he was in the first place. The pull ebbed slightly, and even more until the flow had slowed to a trickle. The fog had also thinned and Nico could breathe easier than he had for a while. He glanced around where the fog had taken him, and saw a figure standing not five meters away. A smile stretched across his face as he factored in details about the figure, shorter than him, but distinctly human, with long hair he could see even through the fog. He wasn’t alone. A small laugh escaped from his lips, and though wary of anyone he might meet there, he was eager to talk to this girl. His laugh had alerted the girl of his presence, and she turned towards him. Her mouth dropped open slightly in surprise, eyes narrowing in suspicion, and he took in her long blonde hair, slightly too large army jacket and chunky boots, that contrasted with her beige linen pants. There was a large satchel hanging from one of her shoulders, making her seem far more prepared than he was. He could feel her eyes raking over him, examining him just as he examined her, but before he could think to ask her something, anything, she got in first.

“Who the bloody hell are you?”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for meeting! I hope you all had a great new year and are all looking forward to going back to work/school/ whatever. Hopefully I'll have at least another chapter up before I go off to uni, and I don't know how often I'll be able to update then. Until next time i guess,   
> Your loyal Hazmatilda.

**Author's Note:**

> That was the first chapter, and I'm currently working on the second. What is this secret mission? Why is Carter so nervous? What will happen in the Duat? Find out next time on 'Maybe this could Work'.
> 
> -Hazzapixie :)


End file.
